Blue Swallows return for 2007/2008 season

Swallow Working Group Field Worker for Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga) reported the first sightings of Blue Swallows in Mpumalanga, Enos, spotted one pair of Blue Swallows during his weekly survey of the Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site, Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga.

Enos reports that the birds were flying in and out of a prospective nesting site.

Enos and Justice are the local Bird Guides for the Kaapsehoop area which includes the Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site. If you are interested in visiting the area and seeing Blue Swallows and the many
other specials of this area then please book their services as guides by contacting Rudi du Plessis on 082 601 5455 or 013 734 4580.

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These small swallows (Hirundo atrocaerulea) are small passerine birds of the swallow family. Birds in this family are somewhat similar in habit and appearance to other insect eaters that chatch their prey in flight. The species is classified as vulnerable due to loss of habitat.

They breed in Southern Africa after migrating south from Uganda and Kenya. In the Kaasche Hoop area they breed on what is called 'Blue Swallow Plain', a natural heritage site just outside of town. This are has a number of old mine shafts and it is in these that the birds nest.

Although they appear black in flight, they are in fact a very dark blue. The males have very long outer tail feathers. The birds are between 18 to 25 mm long, without the tails.

Blue swallows are extremely rare in South Africa, with only 131 beirds being found during the 2005 bird census. during this census only 34 birds were found in Mpumalanga, mostly at Kaasche Hoop, Sabie and Graskop.

More information regarding Blue Swallows can be obtained from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), Ecotravel and the Blue Swallow wikipedia. Arkive has beautiful pictures and video clips of Blue swallows.